Three arrested for supplying crystal meth to students

During their drive against drug use in the youth of the upmarket localities of Karachi, the Clifton police on Sunday claimed to have arrested three operatives of the international drug mafia.

Police accused the suspects of being part of the international drug mafia and of being involved in supplying crystal methamphetamine, also known as ice, to school and college students.

The arrests were disclosed during a news conference held by District South SSP Pir Muhammad Shah. Clifton ASP Suhai Aziz and SHO Khalid Nadeem Baig were also present on the occasion. They identified the suspects as ring leader Rehmatullah, Sanaullah and driver Shahid Ali.

SSP Shah said the suspects had been travelling in a four-wheeler when, based on a tip-off, the police intercepted their car on Khayaban-e-Jami during snap checking. He added that the police also found a kilogramme of ice concealed in their vehicle.

Quoting the suspects’ disclosures made during their initial interrogations, the officer said a man named Haji Shamsher, who lives in Afghanistan and is associated with the international drug mafia, is the main supplier of ice. He added that Shamsher supplied ice to both Karachi and Quetta.

The SSP claimed that the use of crystal meth is becoming very common, especially in the city’s upmarket localities like Clifton and Defence, where majority of the male and female students of schools and colleges are turning into ice addicts.

“Dealers usually organise events in which the youth are offered to try ice free of charge. But after one or two hits, they feel compelled to start buying the drug.” He said the drug dealers have strong roots in Clifton and Defence, where they keep rented houses to arrange such parties. Even some reputed hotels are involved in these activities, he claimed, asserting that action will be taken against such establishments.

The officer said the social media are also being used as an important tool for the purpose, adding that ice is very costly and dangerous as compared to other drugs. He said that a gram of ice costs between Rs1,500 and Rs2,500.

The SSP said the international drug mafia has its own delivery system, through which they deliver ice directly to customers after taking orders online, adding that a list of international operatives has been prepared and action will be taken against all of them.

He said an anti-drug squad is also being formed to take action against everyone linked to the crystal meth business, adding that the school safety division will take action against the ice mafia at schools and colleges. The police later registered an FIR No. 382/18 under Section 6/9C of the Pakistan Penal Code against the arrested suspects and initiated further investigation into the case.